Process of recovering nickel and copper from ores and mattes.



liDULPHE CHALAS, 01'!" PHILADELPHIA, PENNBYLVANIA.

IlE-(lCESEt E REGUVERING- NICKEL AND CUPYPEE IEFCEM t'lfttltfl AND MAZW'KES,

lie Iiraw'ing.

operation;

In. the first stage the process, the nickelspecification of Letters Patent. 0

copper matte from pyrrhotite smelting is hcseemerized to slag oil the iron and to concentrate the nickel-copper contents to about The resulting rich matte is then roasted to convert it into oxide of nickel and copper, which are finally reduced, with production of an alloy of nickel. and copper. The reduction may be effected in a coke, gas, or preferably an electric furnace. The resulting" nick-elcopper alloy is then ,castinto anodes' in the second stage of the process, the nickel-copper" anodes are placed in an electrolytic cell, No. 1, having sheet cathodes of nickel, copper or iron, and containing as an electrolyte an aqueous solution of an alkalimetal salt, for example sodium chlorid. The anodic and cathodic solutions are separated toy a diaphragm. As electrolysis proceeds, chel and copper are dissolved from the as chloride, While a sodium hydroxid solution is produced at the cathode. During electrolysis, the solution is continuously circulated from the anodic-coinpartment of the cell through a filter, lie. 1, containing a body of precipitated nichelous (cuproua) lijrtlroxid, which reacts upon the dissolved copper chlorid with production ct dissolved nickel chlorid' and precipitation of copper hydroxid, The solution, thus freed from copper and containing an additional amount ozt nickel equivalent to the removed copper, is mixed "with the alkali solution which con tinuously flows from. the cathodic comparti'nent of the cell. These two solutions when. mixed. react with the production oi pure ic clone hydroxid, "which sodiiun chlorid brine. The brine, carrying the precipitate in suspension, is circulated precipitates, and

rat-e ten i, with 1909. Serial No. 495L159 through a filter, l? o. 2, which retains the pure nicltelous hydrorid, the clear solution being returned to the cell to regenerate the electrolyte. When the nickel hydroxid in filter No. 1 has been completely (llSSUlT- l and replaced by precipitated copper. droxid, the stream of electrolyte tron anodic compartment of cell l lo. 1 is div to a filter, l lo. 3, which has heen filled with fresh precipitated niclrelous (cuprous) hp droxid, and the first filter is emptied, cleaned and refilled. "When filter lie. 2 has been filled With pure nickel hydroxid, it is also replaced by another and is em tied and cleaned for subsequent use. The pure copper hydroxid from filter No. 1 and the pure nickel 'hydro'xid torn filter lilo. 2 may he merely dried or calcined to give. pure cop per and nickel'oxids.

The nickclous (cuprous) liydroxid used in filter N 0. l for the precipitation of copper is produced by directly mixing the anodic and cathodic solutions flowing from an electrolytic cell No. 2, identical with cell No. 1, so that nickel andcopper hydroxide precipitote together. The brine, carrying; the precipitate in suspension, i circulated tl'lrough a filter, No. 3, which retains the mixed hydroxids, the clear solution being returned to.

cell No. 2 to regenerate the electrolyte. The I'IlChIGlOUS hydroxid in the mixed precipitate, alone, enters into reaction With the anodic solution drawn from cell No. 1.

Commercially, tire filters or sets of filters are preferably employed, which are Worked in rotation: Filter No. 1 containing nickelcopper hydroxid is used in the second stage of the process, while filter No. 2 is being filled with nickel hydroxid tree from cop- 'per, and filter No. 3 is being filled With DlCkQl-COPPGY hydroxid. Filter No. 3 is then substituted for filter No. 1, an empty filter, No. at, is used to replace No. 2, and thelast filter, l lo, 5, is tilled with nickel-copper hy droxid in-sequence with No. 3, the process hemp-cyclic and the reagents.continuously regenerated.

l. claim 1. The process oi. treating nickel-copper ores, which consists in smelting the ore and prodpcing nickel-copper anodes, electrolyticall ousl circulating the "iiiclretcopper the electrolytic cell in itcroue'treagent. i

q solution from con tact With a a nickeldissoluing the anodes, and ccntinu precipitating the d ssolved. copper by sai dissolved nickel and copper as hydroxids,

2; The P s of treating nickel-Col ier ores, which consists in smelting the ore and pimducing nickel-copper anodes, electrolytically dissolving the anodes in a diaphragm cell containing a solution of an alkali-metal salt, continuously precipitating the dissolved copper by circulating the anodic nickelcopper solution from the cell in contact with 1 nickeliferous reagent, and mixing the puritied anodic nickel solution and the cathodic alkali solution thereby precipitating the nickel.

3. The cyclic process of parting nickel and copper, Which consists in electrolytically dissolving nickel-copper anodes, continuously precipitating the dissolved copper by circulating the nickel-copper solution from the electrolytic cell in contact with a bod of nickel-copper hydroxids, electrolytically dissolving other nickel-copper anodes in a dia- ]phragm cell containing a solution of an alali-metal salt, mixing the anodic nickelcop er. and cathodic alkali solutions from second cell thereby precipitating the 1 and employing the body of mixed hydroxids as the-precipitating agent for the copperin tlielsolution'from the first cell.

4. The cyclic process of parting nickel and copper, which consists in electrolytically disso ving nickel-copper anodes in a diaphragm cell containing a solution of an alkali-metal salt, continuously precipitating the dissolved circulatin the anodic nickelcopper so tion from t e cell in contact with 1 a body of nickel-copper hydroxids, mixing the purified anodic nickel solution and the cathodic alkali solution thereby precipitating the nickel, electrolytically dissolving other nickel-copper anodes in a second diaphragm cellcontaining a solution of an alkali-metal salt, mixing the anodic hickelcopper and cathodic alkali solutions from said second cell thereby precipitating the dissolved nickel and cop er as hydroxids, and employing the body mixed hydroxids as the precipitating agent for the copper in the solution from the first cell;

5. The cyclic process of arting nickel and copper, which consists in e ectrolytically dis solving nickel-copper anodes in a diaphragm cell containing a solution of an alkali-metal chlorid, continuously precipitating the ossolved copper by circulating the anodic nickel-copper solution from the cell through a filter containing a body of nickel-copper hydroxids, mixing the purified anodic nickel solution and the cathodic alkali solution thereby precipitating the nickel as hydroxid, separating the nickel hydroxid from the mixed solutions bya second filter, electrol tically dissolving other nicklel coppcr ano es in a second diaphragm cell.,contaming a solution of an alkali-metal chlorid, mixing the anodic nickel-copper and cathodic alkali solutions from said second cell thereby precipitating the dissolved nickel and copper as hydroxids, separating the nickel-copper hydroxids from the mixed solutions by a third filter, replacing the first filter when filled with copper hydroxid by the third filter, .replacing the, second filter when filled with nickel hydroxid by a fourth empty filter, and filling a fifth filter with nickel-copper ADOLPHE CHALAS.

- Witnesses:

N. P. LEONARD,

l3. Damn-ms. 

